iWorld
Discovery Plus to add 5 exclusive titles in the month of July
KOLKATA: Discovery Plus, India’s first aggregated real-life entertainment streaming app, which offers of thousands of hours of exclusive content across 40+ genres including Science, Adventure, Military, Survival, Food and Lifestyle, is further augmenting its content portfolio with five new titles this July.
New additions in the month of July include:
Tales of Valour:
Military is one of the strongest content verticals of Discovery Plus. The addition of Tales of Valour gives more options to military enthusiasts to explore on this diffrentiated app. Curated and narrated by Maroof Raza, one of India’s foremost military experts, Tales of Valour brings forward factual documentaries, which showcase 12 stories of valour, many of which are unknown to most Indians. 3 episodes of Tales of Valour drop on Discovery Plus on July 20.
Covid-19: India’s War Against The Virus:
This Discovery Plus special follows both, the global and the Indian timeline, of how the virus spread and shines light on key developments that have taken place ever since India’s first Coronavirus victim was detected in Kerala. The documentary premieres on July 16 in 7 languages including English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Bengali, Notably, the Hindi voiceover for this documentary has been provided by Bollywood star Manoj Bajpayee and the Tamil voiceover by celebrated writer, director, actor Gautham Vasudev Menon. This will be the 4th Covid-19 documentary to be dropped on Discovery Plus.
Project Runway S18:
Emmy-winning competition series “Project Runway” returns for another season of high stakes and fierce fashions. Fashion aficionados can binge-watch the entire season in one go as sixteen new hopefuls fight it out to take the runway by storm and make fashion history. Host Karlie Kloss is back, along with Christian Siriano as the mentor and returning judges Nina Garcia, Brandon Maxwell, and Elaine Welteroth, to decide who has what it takes to make it in the world of cut-throat fashion.
Expedition Unknown – Season 6:
Intrigued by legendary mysteries and driven by curiosity, Josh Gates is on a mission for answers. `Exhibition Unknown' chronicles his global adventures as he investigates iconic unsolved events, lost cities, buried treasures and other puzzling stories in this brand-new season. Starting July 27, 3 episodes from Expedition Unknown – Season 6, will be available on Discovery Plus.
Richard Hammond’s BIG:
Richard Hammond is going behind-the-scenes of the largest structures and machines in the world to understand the science of ‘big’ – how engineers go about building, maintaining and using these superstructures. Starting July 06, each episode of Richard Hammond’s BIG! takes him to a new location and mega structure, where he meets the unsung heroes at the front line making them work and explores the science behind them with a series of experiments.
Follow Tellychakkar for the consumer facing news & entertainment
iWorld
JioHotstar enters micro-drama space with 100 shows under Tadka banner
Short-form push targets 300M users as content meets commerce in new format
MUMBAI: JioStar has made a bold play in India’s fast-growing micro-drama space, rolling out over 100 short-form shows under its new Tadka banner on JioHotstar, timed with the massive viewership surge of the Indian Premier League 2026.
The scale of the launch signals clear intent. Rather than testing the waters, the company has dived in headfirst, releasing a wide slate of content on day one. Each show is designed for quick consumption, with episodes running 60 to 90 seconds in a vertical format tailored for mobile-first audiences.
The move comes as India’s micro-drama market, currently valued at around $300 million, is projected to grow tenfold to over $3 billion by 2030. Globally, the format has already proven its mettle, with China’s micro-drama sector recording explosive growth in recent years.
What sets this rollout apart is its built-in monetisation strategy. The shows are free to watch and ad-supported, with brand integrations woven directly into storylines from the outset. It reflects a broader shift where content and commerce are increasingly intertwined, rather than operating in silos.
The timing is equally strategic. With more than 300 million users already tuning in for IPL action, JioHotstar is effectively turning cricket’s biggest stage into a discovery engine for its new format.
The company is not entering an empty arena. Early movers like Kuku TV, MX Player and platforms backed by Zee Entertainment Enterprises have already laid the groundwork, building audiences and validating demand for snackable storytelling.
Now, with scale, distribution and advertiser interest aligning, the big players are stepping in. For JioStar, Tadka may well serve as a proving ground for the next evolution of digital entertainment, where every minute counts and every second sells.
If the bet pays off, India’s next big content wave might just arrive in under 90 seconds.
